(a) Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to a virtual engine sound system (VESS)-related technology, and more particularly, to a method and device for providing information about a failure in a virtual engine sound system unit for a vehicle which can raise drivers' or pedestrians' awareness of a failure in the VESS unit.
(b) Description of the Related Art
Electric vehicles are generally considered to be environmentally-friendly and are powered by an AC or DC motor driven primarily by battery power. Electric vehicles include both battery-only electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles. The battery-only electric vehicle uses a motor driven by battery power and recharges the battery when the power is depleted, whereas the hybrid electric vehicle generates electricity by powering an engine, charges a battery with the generated electricity, and uses an electric motor driven by the electricity to propel the vehicle. Hybrid electric vehicles may be classified into two types: series and parallel. The series type of hybrid electric vehicle is made by adding an engine and a generator to a conventional electric vehicle to increase mileage and is driven by a motor, as mechanical energy from an engine is converted to electric energy through a generator. This electric energy is then supplied to a battery or motor. On the other hand, the parallel type of hybrid electric vehicle uses the battery and/or the engine (e.g., gasoline or diesel) as power sources.
However, environmentally-friendly vehicles, as those described above, typically make very little noise while running in an electric vehicle running mode, i.e., a mode in which a vehicle runs on a motor, and can make it difficult for pedestrians (particularly visually-impaired people) to be aware of the approaching vehicles, thereby causing accidents. To overcome this, environmentally-friendly vehicles can be equipped with virtual engine sound systems (VESS) that reproduce and emit virtual sounds through speakers to make it easy for pedestrians to be aware of the approaching vehicles. The VESS speakers are often installed at the front bumper to mimic engine or motor sounds.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the disclosure and therefore it may contain information that does not form the related art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.